Love of a Family
by Wynter Hardy
Summary: Gaara wants another child. Fluff. Gaara/OC


_**Kind of a companion story to "Hands So Used to Kill". Enjoy!**_

"It's all right, now. Daddy's here. I won't let anything hurt you." Gaara soothed his daughter as she clutched his clothing tightly, burrowing her head in his shoulder. He patted her back softly, whispering calming nothings.

Koishi had awakened to a terrifying nightmare and the sound of her crying had drawn Gaara to her side in a heartbeat. After calming her down, wiping away her tears, and offering some affection, he had attempted to put her back to bed numerous times, but she wasn't having it. Each time, she held onto him for dear life and refused to let go. So there they were, Gaara in his daughter's room in the rocking chair with his little girl nestled in his lap. It was times like this that Gaara was actually thankful for his insomnia and his status as the Kazekage; his body didn't need to sleep too often.

Pefectly content to let Koishi hold onto him as long as she wanted, Gaara's thoughts began to drift. He suspected that the child wasn't scared anymore, that she just wanted the reassurance of her father's love. And he was happy to give her that reassurance. Sometimes his job as the Kazekage took him away from home, away from her, for long periods of time and every time he returned, his precious child would latch onto him from days, never letting him out of her sight.

"You will make quite the tracker-nin one day." Gaara mused.

He noticed that Koishi had fallen back asleep, her head lolling on his shoulder, her little body relaxed. She started to snore a bit, a habit she'd inherited from her mother. Gaara looked down at her, her face etched in a state of innocence. Oh, how she looked like him. She had the same soft auburn hair, translucent skin, and even the dark tanuki rings around her eyes. She had been born with those; it had frightened him at first as the memories of his childhood torment had briefly surfaced.

The sheer thought of parenthood had frightened him beyond measure. If he had never been shown love as a child, how could he expect to show love to his child? But it had come to him as easy as breathing. From the moment he held Koishi, his daughter, his own flesh and blood, he loved her. He loved her more than anything in the world. He vowed to protect her, forever and always. Even when she grew up and became obstinate and pushed him away…

He knew that time would come, but he wasn't ready to think about it.

Satisfied that the little girl was fast asleep again, Gaara gently gathered her up in his arms and took slow steady steps toward her bed. He gingerly tucked her back in amidst the black and red blanket and placed a kiss on her forward.

"Goodnight, my little Koishi." He cooed as he left the room.

Back in his own bedroom, Gaara noted the figure wrapped up in covers on the bed. He slid into the other side of the bed, underneath the cover, and wrapped the person in an embrace.

"Our daughter was crying and you did not see to her." He whispered into a warm shoulder.

"She was crying for you." Saizen looked over her shoulder at him, onyx meeting with seafoam.

"How do you know she did not want you?"

"Because she always wants her father, Gaara." She gave him a light kiss on the cheek, her long black hair brushing against his face.

There was a comfortable silence for a while as Gaara slipped off into his own thoughts again. This time his thoughts were filled with family. His mother, whom he'd never known but who'd loved him dearly. His father, who even though he tried to kill him, was doing what any Kazekage would do and thinking about the best interest of the village. And his siblings, who'd he continued to enjoy a better relationship as time drew on. He thought of Saizen and her family. No matter how messed up their circumstances were, Itachi and Saizen and Sasuke loved each other dearly. And Gaara also loved Saizen dearly, much more than Sasuke did, but he'd never say such a thing out loud.

"Saizen," Gaara called softly, hoping his wife had not gone back to sleep, "I've been thinking."

"Oh? What about?" came the mumbled reply.

"I want to have another baby." Gaara said resolutely.

At this, Saizen sat up and Gaara copied her movements. "Another baby? Are you serious?"

Gaara nodded. "I want Koishi to know the love of a family."

Saizen chewed her lip for a moment, mulling it over. Truthfully, she hadn't liked being pregnant the first time. She was not at all accustomed to not having missions for such a long period of time. But the happiness she felt when she had brought a new life, one that she and Gaara had created together, was worth it. She'd go through it all over again to feel that joy.

"_I don't have much time left, Saizen." Itachi said, leaning back in his chair tiredly._

"_Don't say that, big brother! There's got to be a cure for your illness…there just has to be!" Saizen screamed, angry at the world as she watched her beloved older brother wasting away before her._

_Itachi beckoned her closer and he gently brushed her bangs out of her face, the way he had done when they were younger. "Will you do something for me?"_

_Saizen felt the tears starting to fall. "Anything, Itachi."_

_Itachi closed his eyes, still absently playing with her hair. "If you have a son, would you name him after me? I always wanted a son named after me." He offered her a weak smile._

_It was the last smile he ever gave her._

A tear slipped down Saizen's cheek at the memory. That had been during Itachi's last days. Quietly, she responded to Gaara's early statement. "Yes Gaara, we can have another baby. On one condition."

"What is that, my love?" Gaara wiped her face, his brow furrowing in confusion as he did not understand why the Uchiha was upset.

Saizen clutched the blanket tightly, willing herself to stop the tears. "If the baby is a boy…his name will be Itachi."

_**Reviews would be greatly appreciated!**_


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